Because I Can
by xMyOwnWorstEnemyx
Summary: No summary, because I can't write them for crap. High School setting. It has an OC of mine in it. Reviews and criticism  flames included  welcome. Friendship and my attempt at humor, with possibly some romance splashed in.
1. New Start

What can I say, I'm bored, and I need to practice writing.

Italics are thoughts.

* * *

"Don't forget your lunch!"

"Got it already, mom."

Sometimes I think my mom is more nervous about my first day of school than I am. Although I'm pretty darn nervous now. Today's my first day in a whole new school. I feel a fluttering in my stomach worse than the time I accidently broke my mom's favorite porcelain vase, and I waited in suspense all day for my punishment.

It's chilly out today. I wrap my sweater closer around me. I've walked this way a hundred times, back and forth between our new house and the school, so that I wouldn't get lost on my first day. But now I'm too nervous to pay attention to where I'm going, and I take a wrong turn. Right into someone. The force of another body hitting mine sends me falling right onto my butt.

"Ow!"

"Oh wow, I'm really sorry!"

I look up into a big pair of blue eyes, and a hand reaches out to me. I take it and the boy helps me up.

"I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to run into you like that! I was on my way to meet up with my friends and- wait are you going to school? You know it's that way right? Are you lost?"

He says all this at a million miles a minute, while I just stand there, most likely with the dumbest look on my face as I try to keep up.

I think he finally caught on that I was not catching anything he was saying, because his blabbering audibly screeched to a halt. No really, I swear I heard a record squeal.

"Sorry," he says as he reaches up and scratches his head. He shakes his messy blond hair out and reaches a hand out to me. "Naruto Uzumaki," he says as I shake his hand.

He looks at me expectantly.

"O-oh! Reiko Sugiyama."

Naruto looks puzzled at this.

_What, is my name weird?_

"I've never heard that name before. Are you new here?"

I nod. He looks excited at this.

"D'you wanna walk with me? I could help you out an' stuff!"

"Uhh, sure."

"Sweet! I'll introduce you t'all my friends and-"

I tune him out about there. Not that I find him annoying, but I want to enjoy the last bit of summer, the last taste of freedom before school finally, offically begins. We walk past a small park filled with tons of trees, some of them shedding brightly colored leaves. A couple and a child play in the park with a small, yappy kind of dog. I sigh. I miss the old house, surrounded by hundreds of trees. We turn left around a corner and as I look around, I notice two teens waiting up ahead. Naruto suddenly grabs my hand and he's litterally dragging me towards the two, a boy and girl.

"Sakura, Sasuke!"

The two turn towards us, and both look slightly alarmed that Naruto is nearly ripping my arm out of it's socket in his haste. And just as fast as he'd bolted before, he stops without warning, and I fall flat on my face.

_Gravity:2 Me:0._

_What is it with today? I really hope this isn't an indication of what's to come this year..._

"Naruto!"

I feel a pair of arms slipping underneath me, pulling me up to a standing position.

"You okay?"

I nod. The dark haired boy that helped me up looks closely at my face. I gulp slightly, and my face starts heating up.

_Ooohhh, he's cute. But why is he staring at me like that?_

He suddenly lets go of me and starts rummaging around in his heavy looking backpack. My heartbeat slowly returns to normal.

_Uhh, okay?_

"Sakura, I didn't mean to, really!"

I turn my attention to the girl and Naruto. She has the collar of his shirt gripped tightly and is glaring at him. Like evilly glaring at him. He looks like he's about to pee his pants.

"Don't apologize to me! Tell HER you're sorry!" With that she flings him towards me.

_Not again!_

I'm about to dive onto some random person's lawn to avoid him, but he manages to stop himself.

_Phew_

"I'm really really REALLY sorry! I didn't mean to- hey, your face!"

I deadpan. _What's wrong with my face?_

Suddenly I notice a warm sensation trickling down my cheek, and a stinging pain above my right eye.

I'm about to reach up and touch the spot, when the other boy, Sasuke, grabs my hand and turns me towards him.

_WTF?_

But I see he has some gauze and adhesive bandages in his hand.

_Ooohhhh._

"Hold still."

He grabs my face with one hand and starts wiping blood away with a moist little cloth. But then it starts burning and I realize it's an alcohol pad.

"OOOWWWW!"

Naruto's looking like he just sat on a puppy, and Sakura looks like he just sat on HER puppy.

Sasuke's intent on cleaning the wound above my eye.

I bite my lip through the stinging pain.

_So far, today SUCKS!_

Sasuke finishes cleaning the wound and places a two bandages over the cut. He hands me a small box of bandages and a handful of alcohol pads.

"So, why do you-"

"Naruto."

"Ah. Thanks."

He nods and put the rest of his 'first aid kit' into his bag.

"Are we ready now? It's getting close to 8," Sasuke said as he glanced at the black watch around his left wrist.

"Yeah," Sakura and Naruto both reply, and I nod.

I introduce myself to Sasuke and Sakura, and Sakura again makes Naruto apologize to me. But soon enough the three are in casual conversation. I suddenly feel like I'm intruding. They have a close-knit, almost intimate friendship, and it's obvious enough even for me to feel it. Sakura and Naruto chatter back and forth, occasionally joined by Sasuke, in a way that seems rehearsed. I slow my pace so that I move out of their conversation. Nobody seems to notice, so I study the buildings and streets we pass, watching Sakura and Naruto bicker playfully through the corner of my eye.

We walk for several more minutes, before I hear Naruto groan loudly. I look over, and I see the school looming a block away.

"Savor it while it lasts, Naruto," Sakura says, punching his shoulder. He sighs and grins back at her.

"So, Reiko."

My heads snaps to face Sasuke. He's giving me an odd look, and I can't seem to dechiper it.

"You're in our grade, right?" I nod in affirmation. "Let me see your schedule." He stops and faces me completely, holding out his hand. Naruto and Sakura stop as well, but I hear several other kids shout their names, and they run ahead to greet their friends. I hear a few yell for Sasuke, too, but he doesn't acknowledge them. He glances over my schedule and hands it back to me.

"You have a few classes with the three of us, so we'll be able to help you around."

_How the-?_

"O-okay. Thanks a lot. It'll really help." He nods and we start towards the school again.

"But how did you-"

"I have a good memory."

_Creeeeeeppppyyyyy... But hot._

I feel my skin melt off my skull as I think that, and nearly end up tripping over my feet.

I'd been to the school several times over the summer, both with my mom and alone, and I'd always felt fine approaching it. But now it seems foreboding, haunting.

_Grreeeaaaaaaaatttt..._

"If you're nervous, don't be. It's not that scary. You'll blend right in."

_Yeah, my skin and guts are all the way home now._

He laughs at what I'm sure was the most freaked out expression ever on my face.

"Well, I have gym right now, so i'll see you around. and don't be afraid to tell Naruto to shut up once in a while. Kid gets annoying fast." He smirked and as I said 'bye' turned and headed down a separate walkway.

As for the part about blending in, he lied. As I walk through the front court, a number of kids give me odd looks and point and whisper to their friends. I swallow hard and try to hide myself in my sweater. And there's no sign of Naruto or Sakura anywhere.

_Kill me now, kill me now, kill me now..._

Kona Junior/Senior High School is 'a small, community-centered, student oriented facility.' I remember the principal saying. She was a no-nonsense woman whose attitude clearly demanded respect. Which I meekly handed to her on a gilded platter. My mom had obviously been delighted that I wasn't being enrolled in a school filled with juvenile delinquints. After speaking with the principal, she'd dragged me down to the local store to pick up tons of school supplies, more than half of which I hadn't even needed.

The sounds and smells of a new school year hit me full force as soon as I step through the open double doors. Kids of various grades and appearances chatter on wildly to each other, each one retelling their summer in minute detail. I reach into my pants pocket and take out the little slip of paper that has my locker number and combination written on it.

_Locker # 380 Combination # 47-7-39._

I glance around at the lockers I pass. Kids are hurriedly piling their belongings into their lockers.

_347._

I see a girl with pretty pale eyes listening quietly as a boy with messy brown hair tells her about what he and his dog, 'Akamaru' did all summer.

_362._

Sakura is there, talking, no wait, arguing with a blonde girl in a miniskirt.

_379._

A boy with bright red hair, placing his supplies neatly into each self.

_380._

I feel a shiver of apprehension run down my spine as I touch the lock. I turn the dial according to my combination and mess it up the first, second, third time. My locker finally creaks open, just as the one next to me slams shut. I jump violently and look over. Light aqua eyes stare back, then are out of my field of vision, and are soon lost in the swarm of students. I shrug and turn to the task of fitting all of my supplies in the little space available.

I hear a really annoying bell go off three times, and suddenly, the swarm moves even faster. Groups of kids hurried to grab their stuff and find a place inside the rush.

_What the- Oh crap, the bell!_

I finish shoving everything into my locker and slam it shut, and I'm halfway down the hall when I realize I forgot my schedule in my locker.

_Yeah, today definitely sucks._


	2. Meeting The Gang

BLARG!

I can't believe I actually wrote a second chapter for this o.O

And I'm working on a third!

W00T!

Well, anyway, on with chapter two!

* * *

The door creaks open and I walk inside, simultaneously kicking off my shoes and dumping my bag on the floor. I really don't feel up to any homework right now.

"Mom?"

I walk into the small kitchen, grabbing an apple from the clean countertop.

"Mom?" I yell again, mouth half full of apple.

I'm about to turn and run upstairs when I see the digital light on the answering machine blinking. I press 'play.'

I can barely hear my mom's crackly voice through the speakers.

"I'm sorry,honey, but I have to work late tonight. There's some stuff to make sandwiches in the fridge, and ice cream in the freezer. Don't stay up too late."

_Another 3 o'clock night, mom? Third time this week..._

I make a couple of sloppy peanut butter sandwiches, grab a bottle of water out of the fridge and head down to the basement. Mom had been thrilled to find that the basement in this house was furnished, with a light cream carpet and deep burgundy walls. It was insulated too. I'd immediately asked if it could be my room, to which she replied, 'In your dreams, sweetie.'

She has her boxes of excersise equipment and the treadmill set up on one side, and a little office on the other, divided by a collapsible wall. I plug in the treadmill, stuff half a sandwich in my mouth and start jogging. I like running. It's the equivalent of punching pillows. I run just to feel my heart racing, the muscles in my legs working to keep me moving. It clears my head.

I'm walfway through the second sandwich and up to the 8th setting on the treadmill, when I hear my cell phone chirping from my jacket pocket. I let it ring. After about thirty minutes I decide I've worked off enough of the sandwiches.

_For now at least._

I down the rest of my water in one gulp. It's lukewarm by now, making me grimace. I remember my cell going off. As I run back up the stairs, I grab my cell out of my jacket pocket and flip it open.

'1 Missed Call: Naruto'

_Huh?_

I press send, listening to the dull ringing on the other end. I already have the upstairs shower running and I'm half naked when he picks up.

"Hello?"

"Oh hey! I tried calling earlier!"

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that. I was busy. What'd you need?"

"Oh, I uhh- Did you write down the geometry assignment?"

I sigh.

"I'm sorry! I forgot to write it down, and I tried calling Sakura, but she never answered!"

Another sigh.

"I'm sorry!"

I find my assignment book and recite the problems to him, several times. He thanks me and hangs up.

Well, he's about to hang up when he says, "Oh yeah! Sakura and I wanted to know if you wanted to come hang out with a bunch of us tomorrow at the beach! It's supposed to be really hot out, so we thought it'd be fun! We could have you meet the whole gang too!"

I could literally hear the gigantic smile on his face. I found myself smiling too.

"Uh, sure that sounds like fun. I haven't been swi- Crap!"

"What's wrong?"

"I don't have a bathing suit or anything."

"Uhhhh, maybe one of the girls could help you?"

_Uhhhhh..._

"Okay, I guess that'd work..."

"Great, so we'll see you there!"

He's about to hang up again, when I remember one important detail.

"Wait, when and where?"

"Oh yeah," I can see him scratching the back of his head. "You know that REALLY big building that has a lot of books in it?"

_Uhh, a library..?_

"Oh yeah! The library!"

_Bingo, we have a winner._

"Uhh, yeah, I think I could find it."

"Great. We're gonna meet there at 10 o'clock. And I'll see if someone has an extra swimsuit for ya, okay?"

"Sure, sounds good."

"Great! See ya!"

"Bye."

As soon as I get back out of the shower I crawl into some pajamas and dive on my bed. I barely manage to set my alarm for the next morning before I'm out.

* * *

I wake up to a horrible screaming sound. I bolt upright in my bed, adrenaline kicking in. Of course, the source of the horrid sound, my phone, flies out of my hand and lands in a heap of dirty laundry at the foot of my bed.

I groan.

_It's Saturday... I'm supposed to relax. Why in the world is my alarm going off?_

And then it hits me.

_The beach!_

I throw off the covers on my bed, scrambling to shut up my phone. I have to admit, I'm excited. Nervous too, but mostly excited. It was the first time I'd actually been out doing something with friends in a long time.

_Friends?_

Well, not quite friends, more like accquaintances. I didn't have anywhere near the close bonds with any of them as they had with each other. They had affection, rivalry, respect, love. I was kind of like a lost puppy to them.

I suddenly remember the look on Naruto's face when he'd caused me to fall face first onto the sidewalk. I burst out laughing right as I'm brushing my teeth. Mom walks in as I'm choking on toothbrush and spit and gives me the weirdest look, which only serves to make me laugh harder. The look she's giving me is screaming _'what-the-hell-are-you-laughing-so-hard-about-and-it'd-better-not-be-about-my-hair,'_ but she starts laughing too.

We finally manage to catch our breath, after tears are streaming down my face and she literally kicks me out of the bathroom because she nearly pees her pants.

"So what're you doing up so early?"

"I could ask you the same thing. I thought you had to work late last night."

"Not as late as I thought," she says, shrugging her shoulders. "So anyway, why're you up? I'ts your first Saturday of the school year."

"Ugh, don't remind me. Uhm, a couple of my friends wanted me to go down to the beach with them today. It's already warm out."

_Friends?_

"Oh, honey, that's great," she says, giving me a gigantic hug. "I'm proud of you. But wait, you don't have a bathing suit!"

"That's okay. Naruto said he could find out if one of the girls could lend me one."

"Ooohhh, and this boy 'Naruto', do you like him?"

Jeez, she could be such a teenager sometimes.

"No, mom."

She only smiles and rolls her eyes.

* * *

"Reiko!"

Naruto looks tired, but he's jumping aroung nonetheless. I wave, feeling another rush of butterflies invade my stomach. Sakura and Sasuke are there too, along with Shikamaru, Ino, and three other people, two boys and a girl, I don't recognize. They're all standing in front of the huge library that's right in the center of town. I remind myself that I'll have to go in there one of these days.

Sakura and Ino are babbling to each other, shooting glances at me as I approach the group. They reach an agreement over something, nodding furiously and smiling. I greet the five people I know, receiving waves and 'hellos' in return. Naruto flings an arm around my shoulders and drags me over to the three kids I don't know.

"Reiko, this is Kankuro," gesturing to the tall boy with brown hair. He's wearing black and purple shorts and a white t-shirt.

"Hey there," he says, giving me a smile and a once-over with his eyes.

"Hi."

"This is Temari." A girl with shoulder length blonde hair, wearing a red shirt and grey shorts comes up and ruffles my hair.

"Aawww, she's so cute." I hear several snickers behind me. My face heats up and I look down, all flustered. Temari gives a big laugh and pats my head again. She turns to Kankuro and whispers something in his ear, making him look back and forth between me and the other boy quickly, eyes squinting in concentration. I turn to look at the other boy as Naruto leads me over. He's tall and pale with bright red hair. He's wearing a black t-shirt, jeans, and dark colored shoes.

_How can he stand to wear that in this heat?_

"And this is Gaara!" He nods and lifts his hand in a half greeting. Somewhere behind me I hear Sakura giggle. All of a sudden I realize he looks familiar. I rack my brain until I remember his locker is right next to mine.

"Hey, your locker is right next to mine!" He gives me a confused look, but he seems to remember too, as he nods again.

_Kinda quiet..._

"Gaara, you've gotta be dying in those clothes! I'm about ready to just rip off my shorts and go around naked!" I snort a stifled laugh. Naruto gives me the most astonished look ever.

"I'm serious!"

I hear a burst of laughter behind me and everyone joins in, except for Naruto.

"What! What'd I say?" Even Gaara is laughing, an open mouthed laugh, his finger pointed at Naruto.

_Hmm, maybe just shy..._

Half of us are doubled over laughing hysterically, when a dark blue van pulls up in front of the library. I hear doors open and shut, and look up to see cousins Neji and Hinata Hyuuga.

"What's so funny?"

"Neji, Hinata! Tell them to stop laughing at me!" Naruto says this in such an exasperated way, it sets off a whole new round of laughter. I'm on the ground, clutching my stomach, tears streaming down my face. None of us seem to be able to stop laughing. Even Neji and Hinata are fighting back chuckles.

_Laughter really is contagious._

After a few minutes, most of us have calmed down enough to start gathering up our beach fare. Most of us. Kankuro, Shikamaru, Sakura, and I are all still struggling to stop laughing. I'm even still on the ground.

I hear Neji say, "Alright, alright, is everyone ready?" I try to get up, but my stomach muscles are sore from laughing so hard.

"Ahhhh, I can't get up!"

This time Naruto's the one pointing and laughing at me. All the others start in too. I keep struggling to get up, until a hand appears in my field of vision. I take it gratefully. Looking up I see Gaara, laughing softly. He pulls me up easily.

_Wow! He's strong!_

"Haha, thanks."

"No problem," he says smiling.

_He's got pretty eyes..._

And he does. Pale aqua, rimmed in thick black lashes. I realize I'm staring and look away, my face burning hot. A light pressure vanishes from my hand. Shocked, I look down at my now empty hand.

_Whoa... Were we just holding hands?_

"C'mon you two!"

We both run over to the van, piling into the back. There's one available seat, which the boys let me take. Gaara and Kakuro squeeze together in the little space between the bags in the back. It's a huge van, with three rows of three seats each. Neji, Hinata, and Shikamaru are in the first row; Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke in the second; Ino, Temari, and I are in the last.

Neji calls from the front, "Everyone ready?"

A collective "Yeah!" rises up, and Neji pulls away from the library.

"So, Naruto tells us you're new here," Kankuro says.

"Yeah, my mom and I moved here this summer."

"Any particular reason why?" This time it's Temari asking.

"My mom got a new job here. Plus, I think she wanted to get away from our old town."

"Why's that?" Kankuro again.

I chew on the inside of my cheek a little. I tend to do that when I'm apphrehensive.

"My mom and dad divorced two years ago. She's just getting over it now."

"Oh."

There's silence between the five of us for a few minutes, while conversations go on in the front of the van.

Ino breaks it by saying, "Do you like it here?"

All of them look up at me at this.

"Well, so far, yeah."

"Good," Temari says, smiling.

"How about the people you've met here?" Gaara joins in the conversation.

"Of course. You guys are all really nice."

They all seem relieved at this. They begin to ask me questions about the place I used to live, what I used to do for fun.

Ino asks, "What about your school? What was that like?"

"Uhh, I've been home schooled all my life. This is my first year in public school."

They all stare at me like I just grew another head.

"Wow. It must be pretty hard adjusting, huh?" Temari asks me.

"Not really. it's actually been kind of easy. Especially since everyone here is really helpful." I catch Gaara's eye as I say this. I smile, and he returns it.

* * *

Woohoo!

Thanks a bunch to anyone who reads this!


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